Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-02

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that old buildings, such as town halls and art galleries, should be restored, even though this can be costly. Others argue that governments should replace them with new, modern buildings.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In today's modern world, many argue that old infrastructure like city centers and ancient galleries should be restored, which can be very costly. While others believe that political parties should turn old buildings into modern structure. In this essay, I will discuss both views and give my opinion on this scenario.

Firstly, people arguing about restoration believe that turning old infrastructure into new would be an easy job, but this project can lead to many problems. If the turn old town halls and art gallery into new people might not visit them as much as they do now as it would lose it's charm, pupils may be visiting it because of its ancient texture. Secondly, restoring is followed by many cost factors such as high labor prices, expensive material and high chances of ruining the building. For example, town of old Quebec is well known for its old buildings and ancient artifacts, but if people would restore it by painting them with color might change it's entire look of the town.

On the other hand, who believes that governments should fund them to replace it with modern buildings. In this case, this would be even more costlier that restoration.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay attempts to address both views, the arguments are underdeveloped and lack sufficient supporting evidence. The conclusion is abrupt and fails to clearly state or justify your own opinion as requested by the prompt. The discussion regarding the cost of modern buildings is incomplete, leaving the reader without a balanced comparison. To improve, you must expand on your arguments with specific examples and ensure all parts of the prompt are addressed in full, including a clear, well-supported personal stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'On the other hand' to signal transitions, but the overall progression of ideas is hindered by the lack of length and depth. Paragraphing is present, but the logical flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For instance, the transition between the discussion of restoration and the mention of Quebec is abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'On the other hand, who believes that governments should fund them', which lacks a clear subject. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing and some imprecise word choices, such as 'ancient texture' and 'cost factors'. There are also minor errors in word formation and collocation, such as 'costlier that' instead of 'costlier than'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning and architecture, and ensure that your word choices are contextually accurate. Expanding your range of synonyms will help avoid repetition and make your arguments more persuasive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'While others believe that political parties should turn old buildings into modern structure' (missing article/pluralization) and 'if people would restore it by painting them with color might change it's entire look' (faulty conditional structure and possessive error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of apostrophes. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and the structure of conditional sentences. Proofreading for basic errors like 'it's' versus 'its' will also help improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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